Ilia Topuria didn’t hold back when asked about Conor McGregor’s upcoming showdown with Max Holloway at UFC 329, calling the International Fight Week headliner “a shitty fight.”
McGregor is set to face Holloway in the main event of UFC 329, which takes place July 11 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, marking McGregor’s return to the octagon after a five-year hiatus. The bout is a rematch of their meeting 13 years ago in McGregor’s second UFC fight, where he won a unanimous decision.
“But hey, it’s good for the sport. You have to admit that Conor is one of the biggest stars in the UFC. It’s like it has its pros and cons; he’s on the decline, and the only one who’s going to benefit is him, not the UFC. …” Topuria said.
“It’s going to be a stand-up, striking fight, no wrestling or ground fighting. Don’t think Conor is much worse than Max, they’ll be like two kittens touching each other,” he added, noting, “They’ve already fought once, and he beat him.”
“Conor should beat him, if you ask me who I want to win, who would be best for me. If he wins and then wins another fight, we can have that fight,” Topuria said.
Topuria is scheduled to face Justin Gaethje next month at UFC White House in a lightweight unification bout. Both McGregor and Holloway are described as having Hall of Fame careers.
